The history of the Uruguayan Jewish community began towards the latter
part of the eighteenth century when the country became more tolerant,
allowing for continued Jewish residence beginning in the
nineteenth-century. In 1909 there were 150 Jews living in Montevideo and
in 1917, the city's first synagpgue was opened. In 1918 there were some
1,700 Jews in Uruguay, 75% of them Sephardim (from the Balkans, Syria,
Cyprus, Morocco, Egypt, Greece, Turkey and France). The remainder of
Uruguay's Jewish population came from Eastern Europe (mostly from
Russia, Poland and Lithuania).

At the outset of World War II, Uruguay imposed immigration quotas.
Nevertheless, in 1939 some 2,200 Jews fleeing Europe succeeded in
entering the country, mostly from Germany, as did an additional 373 Jews
who arrived in 1940. After the war, Jews from Hungary and from the
Middle East also sought refuge in the Uruguay.

At the 1920 San Remo Conference, Uruguay supported Jewish aspirations
stated in the Balfour Declaration. In 1947, it voted for the
establishment of the United Nations Special Committee on Palestine
(UNSCOP), which included a staunchly pro-Zionist delegate from Uruguay.
Uruguay was the first Latin American country, to recognize the State of
Israel. Montevideo was the first Latin American capital (and fourth
globally) in which Israel established a diplomatic mission. Uruguay was
also one of the few nations willing to recognize Jerusalem as the
capital of Israel. It opposed the proposed internationalization of the
city in 1949 and upgraded the diplomatic representation in Jerusalem to
the status of an embassy in 1958. It was subsequently downgraded to the
status of consulate, however, due to external pressure.

Although in severe decline, there is currently an active Jewish
community in Montevideo. In the period between 1998-2003, more than half
of the community's 40,000 Jews emigrated - mostly to Israel. Today,
20,000 Jews live in Uruguay, with 95% residing in Montevideo. In the
wake of the recent Latin American economic crisis, Uruguayan Jews have
grown increasingly dependent. The World Zionist Congress as well
declared in June 2002 that Uruguay's Jewish community was in a state of
emergency. The JDC released a study stating that 22 percent of the
country's adult Jewish population is "poor" and 40.5 percent is
"vulnerable." However, much less aid is coming into Uruguay and no
external educational funding program exists for Jewish, Uruguayan
children. The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) and
local Jewish organizations have also undertaken the task of helping to
provide assistance to this community.

Despite the increase in emigration of Jews from Uruguay to Israel and
elsewhere as well as high assimilations rates, there still exists an
organized communal structure in Uruguay known as the Israelite Central
Committee. Zionist youth groups such as the national-religious Bnai
Akiva, the socialist HaShomer HaTzair, HaNoar HaTzioni, and the
Revisionist Betar have been known to give youth education. These
organizations, like the community itself are in decline and require
continued and sustained assistance.

Jewish Education in Montevideo, Uruguay

Until December 2007, Montevideo had three, well-functioning Jewish
private schools. Recent economic constraints however, led to the closure
of Ariel, one of the city's Jewish institutions. The two remaining day
schools are the Escuela Integral Hebreo Uruguaya (EIHU) - a pluralistic,
Zionist institution including nursery, primary and secondary levels and
Yavneh - the orthodox community-school, also including nursery, primary
and secondary education.

The EIHU has 900 students and recently absorbed the majority of students
from Ariel. Yavneh has approximately 300 students. Both institutions
comply with national education requisites and provide a high level of
Jewish and secular education. Both institutions are in serious need of
economic support as the number of students requiring scholarship
assistance stands at approximately half of the community's Jewish
children.

There is currently no other organization dedicated to providing
scholarship funds for needy children in Uruguay.

In December 2007, Michael Ettedgui, of Yaldeinu visited the Jewish
schools of Montevideo, forging working relationships with their
administrations. Yaldeinu currently has a framework for assisting the
educational needs of the Uruguayan Jewish community, including
scholarship programs and religious instruction.